Magnetic lid lifter for can openers



Nov. 27, 1956 P. RHODES 2,772,381

MAGNETIC LID LIFTER FOR CAN OPENERS Filed June 25, 1951 lnlx/ENToE: IQF)P. RHODES,

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United States Patent MAGNETIC LID LIFTER FOR CAN OPENERS Ira P. Rhodes,St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Swing-A-Way Manufacturing Company, St.Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application June 25, 1951, SerialNo. 233,328

1 Claim. (Cl. 317-159) The present invention relates generally to canopeners, and more particularly to novel improvements in magnetic lidlifters or holders adapted for use in combination with mechanical canopeners.

Briefly, the invention contemplates an improved magnetic lid lifter orholder comprising a novel arrangement of two permanent magnets betweenopposed pole pieces to form a magnet assembly, said assembly beingresiliently suspension mounted in a shell-like enclosure or cover whichis, in turn, pivotally mounted to an element of a known type of canopener.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide improvementswhich will overcome certain deficiencies in the manufacture and in theoperation of known de vices intended generally to retain a severed cantop or lid to prevent it from falling into the can.

In the attainment of the general object, as above set forth, it is aspecific object to provide a novel magnetic can top or lid lifter orholder which is so mounted as to permit ready and convenient access toparts of the associated can opener which it is desirable to cleanperiodically.

It is another specific object of the invention to provide a magnetic lidlifter or holder having an exceptionally efl'icient magnet assembly,which exceptional efficiency results from the employment of a pluralityof separate magnets cooperating with common pole pieces.

It is another object of the invention to provide a ma net assembly for amagnetic lid lifter or holder, which magnet assembly has a plurality ofspaced apart surfaces adapted to contact a can lid, thereby to exert aconcentrated attractive force at a plurality of relatively Widelydistributed points on the can top.

It is another object of the invention to provide a magnetic lid lifteror holder in which the magnet assembly is freely supported so as toenable it to conform to the usual tipped position of the can lid at themoment of final severance, thereby to lessen the possibility of pullingthe lid from the lifter at the moment of maximum holding strain.

It is another object of the invention to provide a magnetic lid lifteror holder in which the magnet assembly is resiliently suspensionmounted, thereby continuously to adapt the position of the magnetassembly to the various positions of the lid as it is severed from thecan, and, further, to exert through spring retraction an effectivemechanical lifting force upon the lid when it is finally severed fromthe can to raise it from the contents thereof.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a magnetic lid lifterhaving relatively few parts adapted to relatively inexpensive massproduction and assembly, which is neat and compact in appearance, whichis automatic in its action, and which has an inherent long life.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent fromthe following description taken with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a magnetic lid lifter constructed inaccordance with the teachings of the present invention, shown attachedto a mechanical can opener of known type severing the lid from a can;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken generally alongthe line 22 of Fig. l, but showing the magnet assembly in end elevation;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to Fig. 2, butsubstantially limited to the lid lifter and with the magnet assemblyshown in section;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken generally on the longitudinalcenterline of the magnetic lid lifter showing the magnet assembly in anormal position of rest;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a removed magnet assembly;

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view thereof; and

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view thereof.

Referring to the drawing more particularly by reference numerals, amagnetic lid lifter 10 is shown pivotally mounted by means of a rivet 12to a horizontally disposed flange or can top guide bracket 14 on a knowntype of wall mounted can opener 16. Although not shown in the drawing,the rivet 12 may have assembled therewith a resilient device, forexample, a common lock washer for the purpose of providing continuousfrictional contact between the abutting surfaces of theriveted joint.

As mentioned, the can opener 16 may be a known type adapted for wallmounting and may comprise principal elements such as a frame 20 uponwhich is slidably mounted a carrier 22 so as to be movable with respectto the frame 20 upon rotation of a lever 24. A crank 26 and a feed wheel(not shown) are rotatably mounted on a lower portion of the frame 2%,the feed wheel (not shown) being adapted to cooperate in conventionaloverlapping relation with a cutter disc 30 rotatably mounted on thecarrier 22 in severing a lid, such as 32, from a can, such as 34, bysupporting the can 34 beneath the top bead.

The conventional can rim supporting function and the overlappingrelation of the feed wheel (not shown) and the cutter disc 30, when thelever 24 is in the position of Fig. 1, provide effective support for theweight of the can 34 and the contents thereof, and the can 34 isrotatably maintained in a vertical position by lateral abutment of itsside with a conventional horizontally disposed can guide flange (notshown) of the frame 20, and by vertical abutment of its upper rim withthe underneath surface of the can top guide bracket 14. A rim guidebracket 38 mounted on the carrier 22 serves to prevent the can frompivoting laterally about its area of engagement with the feed wheel 28.

The magnetic lid lifter 10 includes a shell-like enclosure or cover 40preferably formed from non-magnetic material, such as aluminum, andhaving a horizontally disposed mounting flange 41 for the aforementionedpivotal attachment to the can top guide bracket 14. The cover 40 formsan enclosure with a downwardly directed open space, the open space lyingin a single plane. The generally preferred shape of the cover 4%? isclearly depicted in the several views of the accompanying drawing.

A magnet assembly 42 comprises a pair of identical pole plates 44, apair of identical bar magnets as, and a retaining element 48. Apreferred general configuration of the pole plates 44 is clearly shownin Figs. 4 and 6, it being particularly noted that the lower edge ofeach plate 44 provides depending projections or feet 58. Additionally,each of the plates 44 is seen to have a pair of rectangular apertures 51and also a pair of indentations 52, both the apertures 51 and theindentations 52 being disposed symmetrically about the verticalcenterline of the plates 44. It will be noted that the indentations 52are produced through deformation of the plates 44 so as to provideshallow cavities or pockets which, when two plates 44 are disposedoppositely, act in opposed pairs 3 as receptacles for the ends of therespective bar magnets 46.

The cross-sectional shape of the bar magnets 46 is not critical, itbeing only desirable that it conform generally to the configuration ofthe indentations 52. The shape shown in Fig. 4, for example, has beenfound to be both structurally efiicient and relatively economical.Obviously, the received ends of the magnets 46 constitute the polesthereof, and it will be understood that the north poles of both magnetsare received in one of the plates 44 and that the south poles of bothmagnets are received in the other plate 44. The plates 44, being formedfrom magnetic material, thus constitute common pole pieces for themagnets 46. i

The retaining element 48 may, as illustrated, take the form of aninverted letter U, as best shown in Fig. 4, thus to comprise a bightportion 55 and two leg portions 56. The width of this U-shaped element48 is somewhat less than the length of the bar magnets 46, except forcoextensive integral tabs which extend from the edges of the legportions 56. Each of the tabs 57 extends through an aperture 51 in aplate 44 and has its end indented or otherwise deformed so as to retainthe several parts of the magnet assembly 42 in rigid assembled relation.The retaining element 48 is preferably formed of non-magnetic material,such as aluminum, and an aperture 58 is provided centrally of the bightpor tion 55 for a purpose to appear.

The magnet assembly 42 is movably suspended within the cover 40 by meansof a preferably non-magnetic rivet pin 60 which may, as shown in Figs. 3and 4 of the drawing, take the form of a flat strip shaped to form an inverted letter T. The stem portion of the pin 60 passes loosely throughthe aperture 58 in the retaining element 48 and a reduced portion 61 ofthe pin 60 is firmly secured to the cover 40, as clearly shown in Figs.1, 2, 3, and 4. A preferably non-magnetic compression spring 62 isinterposed between the suspended head of the pin 60 and the underneathsurface of the bight portion 55 of the retaining element 48, the magnetassembly 42 being thus supported and, at the same time, urged towardabutment with the inside top of the cover 40. It will be noted that,although the distribution of weight in the magnet assembly 42 is such asto dispose it in a normally level rest position, it is free to tip inany direction therefrom. This ability readily to occupy a tippedposition cooperates with the usual tipping of a can lid at the moment offinal severing and thus tends to equalize the holding strain upon thefeet 50 at the time of maximum demand upon the attractive force of themagnet assembly. Obviously, after the can lid is completely severed fromthe can, the spring 62 tends to lift both the magnet assembly and thesevered lid, thereby preventing the latter from dropping into the opencan.

Operation With a can such as 34 supported in the can opener 16, aspreviously described and as depicted in Figs. 1 and 2, the attractiveforce of the magnet assembly 42 upon the lid 32 causes the magnetassembly 42 to descend against the action of the spring 62 until thefeet 50 rest upon the lid 32, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3. As thecrank 26 is turned, the rotating feed wheel causes the can 34 to rotateupon its vertical axis, the cutter disc 30 thereby shearing the lid 32from the can 34, the feet 50, meanwhile, remaining in continuous slidingcontact with the lid 32. At the moment of complete severance of the lid32 from the can .34, the normal rearwardly downward tipping of the lid32 causes a maximum strain upon the holding power of magnet assembly 42which is in part accommodated by the above-mentioned ability of themagnet assembly 42 to assume a slanting posit-ion. Upon completeseverance of the lid 32 from the can 34, the former continues to beattracted to the magnet assembly 42, whereupon, the spring 62 isetfect-ive to withdraw the lid 32 upwardly from the can 34 so that thelatter may be removed from the can opener 16 without the lid 32. Afterremoval of the can 34, the lid 32 may be either pulled or slipped fromthe attraction of the magnet assembly 42. It will be noted that thespaced arrangement of the feet 50 is such as to provide multiple contactat relatively widely separated points on a can lid even though thelatter be uneven or bent, and, further, that such spacing of the feet 50provides for the secure holding of a large diameter lid even when itscenter is relatively remote from the magnet assembly 42.

When, for purposes of cleaning the cutter disc 30 or parts associatedtherewith, it may be desirable to move the magnetic lid lifter 10 fromits normal proximate position relative to such parts, it is onlynecessary to swing the magnetic lid lifter 10 about the rivet 12 to theposition indicated by the phantom lines of Fig. l to gain the desiredaccess.

It is apparent that there has been provided a magnetic lid lifter whichfulfills the objects and advantages sought therefor.

It is to be understood that the foregoing.description and theaccompanying drawing have been given only by way of illustration andexample, and that changes in form and substitution of. equivalentelements which will be apparent to those skilled in the art arecontemplated as within the scope of the present invention which islimited only by the claim which follows.

Whatis claimed is:

A magnetic lid lifter for a can opener, said lid lifter comprising amagnet assembly and a non-magnetic support therefor, said magnetassembly including identical opposed magnetic pole plates of symmetricalform disposed in parallel, a plurality of bar magnets interposed betweensaid plates and in abutment therewith, said magnets being disposed insymmetrical parallel arrangement, the north pole of each of saidmagnet-s extending in the same direction, non-magnetic securing meansdisposed in symmetrical arrangement with the magnets retaining the poleplates in compressive abutment therewith, and means fastened to saidnon-magnetic securing means for suspending said magnet assembly fromsaid non-magnetic support.

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